Boats



Aug. 9, 1966 J. B. HAMILLTON BOATS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1.964

1966 J. B. HAMILTON 3,265,026

BOATS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22, 1964 Aug. 9, 1966 J. B. HAMILTON BOATS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22, 1964 United States Patent 3,265,026 BGATS John Bernard Hamilton, Seaforth, New South Wales, Australia, assignor of one-half to Iohn Paterson, Harbor-d, New South Wales, Australia Filed May 22, 1964, Ser. No. 369,409 Ciairns priority, application Australia, May 28, 1963, 31,211/ 63 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-61) This invention has been devised to provide a boat con- 1 struction whereby the stability and manoeuvreability of this boat is greatly enhanced as compared with known boat constructions. The invention is applicable to power boats and sailing craft.

Broadly, the boat of this invention consists of a body, which may be a boat hull, and a number of streamlined floats secured to the sides thereof. The securing means are such as to permit the floats to partly rotate in vertical planes. In one construction of the boat, provision is made to turn at least one float on each side in a horizontal plane. In this construction, these floats are coupled together and means are incorporated to control their movement in the horizontal plane. These coupled floats constitute the steering means. In another construction, at least one float on each side of the boat incorporates steering means, for example, a rudder and the rudders are connected to actuating means.

The floats may constitute the complete buoyancy unit of the boat or their buoyancy may be designed to maintain stability in respect to rolling and pitching and to counter heeling.

The invention will be described in further detail with reference to the annexed schematic drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a sail boat;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation showing in dotted lines, the body as it may be formed as a hull;

FIGURE 3 is a rear end part-sectional elevation showing a modification of the stern floats and their mounting means.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the stern floats of FIGURE 3, their mounting means, and another adaptation of steering means;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of boat adapted for propelling by power means.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the body 1 may be designed to be entirely supported by fore floats 2 and stern floats 3, or it may be designed as a boat hull as indicated by the dotted lines 4 in FIGURE 2. The body 1 has a surround decking 5 having cut away parts 6 and 7 foreand aft to accommodate the floats 2 and 3. The surround decking may be hinged as indicated at 8 to permit folding to the position shown at 9 in FIGURE 2 to facilitate road transport.

As illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the floats 2. and 3 are mounted on shafts 10 which extend transversely across the body 1 and on each side of the body are set downwardly and outwardly vw'th the ends 11 forming journals. The floats 2 are mounted in bearing assemblies on the fore-end journals 11 for part rotation in a vertical plane and have the bearings located at a metacentric position of stability. The rear floats 3 have a hold 12 formed therein and side port(s) 13 in communication with the hold, providing an entrance for the journal 11, which is secured in a bearing assembly 14 which permits part rotation of the floats 3 in both a vertical and a hori- Patented August 9, 1966 zontal plane. The bearing assemblies 14 are also located at a metacentric position of stability.

These floats 3 are coupled by rods 15 and the rods 15 are connected by crank 16 to a steering member (tiller) 17. The arrangement of the shaft coupling members 15 incorporates a compensating gear to (permit the said movements and these floats 3 as well as acting as stabilizers also constitute the steering means.

In FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 the parts of FIGURES 1 and 2 which are common bear the same references. In these figures, the shafts 10 are replaced by composite tensioncompression brackets 18 which carry the journals 11. They are secured to the body 1 and within the body are joined by a stay member '19. The movement of the floats 3 is limited to vertical planes. They are provided with rudders 20 mounted on posts 21 which project through the floats 3 and are connected by cranks 22 and the rods 15 and compensating gear, to the tiller 17. The floats 2 and 3 have their bearing assemblies located at a metacentric position of stability.

The terms vertical plane and horizontal plane as used herein define the movement of the floats relative to a boat on an even keel. The term streamlined floats includes a float incorporating a keel fin such as 23.

I claim:

A boat comprising:

, (a) a body;

(b) a plurality of support arms fixed to and extending laterally from each side of said body, said arms each having a free end portion;

(c) first bearing means secured to each of said arms at the free end portion thereof, said bearing means each having a horizontal support axis and the axes of said respective bearing means being parallel to each other;

(d) a streamlined float secured to each of said bearing means for at least partial unrestricted pivotal movement about the axis thereof;

(e) rudder fins fixed to a pair of said floats disposed on opposite sides of said body;

(f) second bearing means securing said pair of floats to the first bearing means thereof for pivotal movement with respect thereto about vertical axes independent of movement of said first bearing means whereby said pair of floats may be pivoted about said vertical axes without disturbing the position of said horizontal axes;

(g) steering means coupled to said pair of floats to efiect simultaneous turning thereof about said vertical axes;

(h) actuating means coupled to said steering means to selectively effect operation thereof; and wherein,

(i) said first and secondbearing means are located at a metacentric position of stability of said floats.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,636 9/1906 Suhm et al. 1l4-61 942,687 12/ 1909 White 11461 1,344,903 6/ 1920 Koiransky 114---6l 1,422,542 7/ 1922 Barkla 11461 X 3,112,725 12/1963 Malrose l1439 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

